Lesson Ten-Korbanos

Tefila 101- Lesson Eight-

Rule: -May our words be accepted as a substitute for the animal sacrifices. Source:

Translation: Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say to him: Forgive all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we offer the words of our lips instead of calves. Source 1

Translation: And the Israelites who were part of that mishmar (the Israelites who lived in an area in which the Kohanim of that area were assigned to work in the Beit Hamikdash for a period of two weeks) would congregate in their cities and read from the Torah the portion on Creation. How do we know that? Rabbi Yaakov the son of Echah and Rabbi Yossi said: If not for the fact that Israelites congregated in their cities to read from the Torah while the Kohanim from that area were serving in the Beit Hamikdash, the heavens and the earth would not have remained standing as the verse says (Genesis 15, 8): Abraham said to G-d: How do I know that there will be those who will inherit my beliefs? What did Abraham mean? Perhaps my children will sin and You will punish them as You did to the generation of the Flood and the generation of Dispersion. And G-d responded: I will not. Abraham continued: Tell me, G-d, on account of what deed will I merit to have those who will inherit my beliefs? G-d answered: Take a heifer which is three years old and a goat which is three years old. Abraham continued: That is fine while the Beit Hamikdash stands. Then my children can obtain forgiveness by bringing a sacrifice. How will they gain forgiveness when the Beit Hamikdash is not standing? G-d responded: I have already prepared for them the text that describes the order of the sacrifices. As long as they read the text before Me, I will consider their reading as equal to bringing the sacrifices and I will forgive all their sins. Source 2

Translation: R. Isaac said: In the west, Eretz Yisroel, they said in the name of Rabbah b. Mari: Come and see how different from the character of men is the action of the Holy One, blessed be He. Concerning the character of men, if one angers his fellow, it is doubtful whether he will be pacified or not by him. And even if you would say, he can be pacified, it is doubtful whether he will be pacified by mere words. But with the Holy One, blessed be He, if a man commits a sin in secret, He is pacified by mere words, as it is said: Take with you words, and return unto the Lord. Still more: He even accounts it to him as a good deed, as it is said: And accept that which is good. Still more: Scripture accounts it to him as if he had offered up bullocks, as it is said : So will we render for bullocks the offerings of our lips. Source 3

Translation: Rabbi Yitzchak said: what is the meaning of that which is written ( Leviticus 6, 18 and 7, 1): this is the law of the sin offering; this is the law of the guilt offering? Whoever spends time studying that part of the Torah that deals with the sin offering, G-d considers him to have brought a sin offering; anyone who spends time studying that part of the Torah that deals with the guilt offering, G-d considers him to have brought a guilt offering. Source 4

Translation: When it comes to studying the portion dealing with the daily sacrifices and the portion dealing with the afternoon sacrifices on the Sabbath, we cannot rely on hearing the Reading of the Torah because there is not reading of the Torah every day, and on Sabbath, they do not read that portion of the Torah that deals with the afternoon sacrifices of the Sabbath because it consists of only two verses and two verses are not enough to do a reading from the Torah.

Translation1: Sovereign of the universe! You commanded the Jewish People to offer the daily sacrifice (Korban Tamid) at its appointed time with the service of the Kohanim, the Leviim at their posts, and all the Jewish People represented by the members of the Ma’Amados (delegations). Now as a result of our sins, The Beis Hamikdash remains in a destroyed state. No longer is the daily sacrifice offered. No longer are the Kohanim officiating. No longer are the Leviim at their posts. No longer are the Jewish People represented by delegations. Thankfully, You had provided through the words of Your prophet Hashea that we may substitute the words of our lips in the place of the animal sacrifices. Therefore be it Your will, Lord our G-d, G-d of our fathers that the prayer of our lips be accepted before You favorably and equal to the daily sacrifice that at one time was offered to You each day before a delegation from the Jewish People as it is written: He shall offer the lamb at the side of the altar northward, before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons as Kohanim shall sprinkle its blood upon the altar.” Further says the Torah: This is the law of the burnt offering, the meal offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecration and the sacrifice of the peace-offerings.” Source 6

Translation: Concerning Tefilas Mussaf, although it can be recited anytime during the day which means that the prayer service that follows Mussaf is Maariv, you may not make up your failure to recite Tefilas Mussaf by reciting Shemona Esrei twice during Tefilas Maariv because Tefilas Mussaf was established to correspond to the Korban Mussaf based on the rule of “may the words recited by our lips be accepted as a substitute for the corresponding animal sacrifice,” Once the time to bring the Korban Mussaf has passed, it is no longer possible to offer a prayer in its place.

1. Adapted from the According To The Custom Of The Spanish And Portuguese Jews edited and translated by Rabbi David De Sola Poole. copyright 2017. The Beurei Hatefila Institute, www.beureihatefila.com, Abe Katz, Founding Director